The Bracelet
by Failing to Fall Out of Love
Summary: He never took the simple bracelet off. Not many really took the time to notice this, and those who noticed didn't have the guts to ask why it was there. SSLE


**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

**So this was a late night idea that I just had to get onto paper. (I guess it's not _really_ paper, but oh well. Enjoy!)**

* * *

There was only one person who ever noticed the bracelet that the potions master never took off. Luna didn't bother him about though. She didn't know why he always wore it, and she didn't need to know. No one knew anymore. At least... not anyone who tied any significance to it. To Snape, it reminded him of the only person he had ever really loved. And he wasn't about to share that with the class.

* * *

Potions was always Severus's favorite class. Everyone knew that, he didn't let anyone forget it, actually. He always had to be best. 

This was why Lily Evans always partnered with him for Potions. She was good at potions, and always got recognition for it. She was one of Slughorn's favorites. And Snape had no idea why she would want to partner with him. He suspected her of doing something Gryffindor-like though. He didn't speak to her.

Five minutes into the period, after Slughorn had taken some time to rave over how good at potions Lily was, she turned to Severus, and gave him a smile. "I hate it when he does that." She said. "I'll go get the ingredients, alright? You set up." She said.

Snape nodded curtly. He didn't feel that he needed to respond.

When Lily returned, her arms were filled with an abundance of different ingredients, and that smile was back on her face. Her hair was pulled away from her face in a loose pony tail, and her green eyes were shining with excitement. "We've never done anything this hard in potions before." She stated. "But I doubt you'll have any problems with it. You're the best student in here."

The boy snorted. "Then why is it you get all the credit?" He asked. "Why does the entire class think you're better than me? Why is it that you get the special treatment from Slughorn?" He asked.

Lily snorted in return. "I imagine you're pretty happy the way things are, Snape. Everyone knows you're better than me, they just don't want to admit it because I don't get all big headed about it. And you really don't want the special treatment. You have to go to these ghastly parties, and everyone gives you these looks... And then Slughorn treats you like his little lapdog. It's revolting."

Snape was silent. He'd never thought of any of that. "Hand me the Botuber, and you slice the Follicate. Slice it thinly, and be careful that you don't touch it." He added.

Lily nodded. "How do you know so much about potions?" She asked, slicing off the green top of the plant.

Snape looked around before answering. The room was loud enough so no one would notice him talking to her. "It runs in my family, I guess. My father was potions master here at Hogwarts for a few years... I grew up around them. He writes potions books also, so I get to see a lot of them."

Lily wrinkled her nose as a pungent odor swept across the room from the direction of James Potter's cauldron. She saw him running for cover, and shook her head. "I pity his family. Apparently he comes from some long line of really powerful wizards, and he can't even make a decent Cheering Potion." She said. "And by the looks of it, he's never getting that yellow slime out of his" she did air quotes around the nest word. "Perfect" she paused for effect. "hair."

Severus smiled. "You really hate him, don't you?" He asked, sweeping the Botuber into the cauldron.

Lily nodded. "He's such a prat." She said. "And he thinks he's so cool, hexing anyone who's in his way, always trying to look like he just got off his broom... it's sickening." She spat, passing the finely sliced Follicate to Snape.

"You're one of few girls in the school who thinks so." He said. "I admire that."

Lily blinked, a little shocked. "Do you hate Muggle borns as much as some of the other Slytherins?" She asked after a moment of silence. "You don't seem like you do."

Severus shrugged. "I don't know. There are some people I hate so much more than them, but some are just stupid. I find I dislike stupid people much more than muggle borns." He said.

"What about stupid pure bloods?" Lily asked.

"Not worth my time."

"Smart muggle borns?"

"If they ask too many questions about how I feel about certain races of wizards, they can get annoying, but usually they make for an interesting conversation. Pass me that Kneazle bile."

Lily passed the boy the bottle, a light blush creeping into her face. "Sorry." The pair was silent for a moment, and then Lily sighed loudly. Snape looked at her, eyebrow raised, and she held up her wrist. "I got this bracelet over the summer, and this morning, Alice pointed out that it was Slytherin colors." She said in explination.

The boy took a closer look at the bracelet. It was a simple black strip of fabric, carefully woven, with a stripe of green and purple down the middle. The stripe was about three millimeters across, but Snape never did measure it. "Why didn't you take it off?"

The girl gave a half smile. "I made it. I always wear it on Tuesdays, but I guess I can't anymore." She said, gently tugging the bracelet off and setting it on the table. She turned back to the cauldron, and then looked at her book. "Now we get to let it simmer until it turns... puce." She said. "Is puce even a real color?"

Snape nodded. "It's a brownish pink." He said.

"Ew." Lily answered. "Sounds like something my sister would like."

Severus didn't answer. But there was a hint of a smile tugging at the edge of his lips.

The pair lapsed into another silence, this one far more comfortable than those before. Before too long, there barely more than ten minutes left in the period. Slughorn stood up from behind his desk, looked at a few of the cauldrons in the front row, and then skipped past Potter's row without even daring to look at the potions that they had concocted. He headed straight to Severus's usual table, his eyes lighting up when he saw the nearly perfectly brewed potion. "Excellent! Well done, Lily." He said, beaming.

Snape couldn't help but roll his eyes. Even when they worked together, she still got all the credit.

Before Slughorn could say another word, Lily had cleared her throat officially. "Professor, actually, Snape did most of this. I helped some, but it turns out I'm not the best at potions in the class." She said, chancing a glance at the boy nest to her.

Slughorn continued as if he hadn't heard her.

Class ended with the ring of a distant bell, and Lily hurried to pack away her things. She was almost out of the room before Severus noticed the bracelet she had left on the table. "Lil..." He began. "Evans!"

Lily turned around in the doorway, her hair swinging around to frame her face.

"You left your bracelet." He said, holding it up.

Lily wrinkled up her nose, her eyes sparkling. "Keep it. I can't be seen with it." She said. "But don't tell anyone I made it." She added, turning away...

* * *

Yes, no one noticed the bracelet that he never took off. But it was one of the Potions Master's most prized possessions. It had belonged to the only girl... no, woman... that he'd ever loved.

**Reviews are not expected, but they're appreciated.**


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